Review/Interview: Final Catcall by Sofie Kelly

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
Paperback

Publisher:
Obsidian

Release Date:
October 2013








Librarian Kathleen Paulson’s life is a mess. Her relationship with Detective Marcus Gordon is pretty much over and her ex-boyfriend, Andrew, shows up in town. He’s on a mission – to reconcile with Kathleen and bring her back to Boston. He’s making sure all her friends know what a great guy he is and hopes they will help him in his mission. Unfortunately, for him, Kathleen’s cats Owen and Hercules aren’t easily fooled.

The small town of Mayville Heights is busy preparing for the upcoming theatre festival. The theater’s director, Hugh Davis, is not winning many fans of his own with his nasty personality. So, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a shock when Kathleen literally trips over his dead body. However, the town can’t help being shocked when anyone is found shot to death.

Andrew uses it as another reason for Kathleen to leave Mayville Heights and return to Boston. Kathleen has her own ideas and can’t help but once again getting involved in another murder investigation. She is stunned to learn how many suspects there are in this case. With much help from Owen and Hercules, Kathleen sets out to find a killer.


I love how Kathleen sits down and talks to them and they act like they are paying attention (or is it the sardine crackers they really want?) Sofie Kelly really does an excellent job in not only writing for the human characters, but for the felines as well (no, they do not talk, but their mannerisms were perfect).

The author is brilliant in not only writing character portrayals, but in creating a mystery complete with twists and turns that will keep the reader trying to figure it all out.

This is the fifth book in the “Magical Cats Mystery” series and it’s the best one yet! I gobbled this one up in just a couple of days. I absolutely could not put it down and, yes, it helps that the two cats had a major role in the story.

I’m ready for another book in this series, now!

FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Interview

I would like to welcome author Sofie Kelly to Socrates’ Cozy Café and Socrates’ Book Review Blogs. She is the author of the wonderful cozy mystery series “A Magical Cats Mystery” – one of my favorite cozies.

Welcome Sofie and let’s get right to the interview…

1. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

First of all, thanks for inviting me to visit. The concept for the Magical Cats series was my very talented editor’s idea, but I developed everything—the town, the characters, the cats.

2. Owen and Hercules are feral cats. Do you have any real life experience with feral cats?

Yes, I do. Several years ago there was a bookstore downtown here and in the alley next to the store there was a feral cat colony. The bookstore owners got involved in making sure the cats were taken care of. I learned a lot about feral cats from them.

3. Your latest book is called “Final Catcall”. Is this the end of the series (I hope not)?

No, it’s not the end of the series. I just finished writing book # 6, tentatively titled, A Midwinter’s Tail. Final Catcall is a play on “final curtain call.” The book is set around a theatre festival.

4. Do you write any other genres?

Yes. I write young adult novels and poetry as Darlene Ryan. I’ve also written a picture book and a memoir. And I have a new series starting next year that’s written as Sofie Ryan, the Second Chance Cat mysteries.

5. Who are your favorite authors and/or books?

I like so many authors and my favorites depend on what I’m reading at any given time. I love all of Lynn Viehl’s work, especially her new Disenchanted & Co series that is set in a steampunk version of America that lost the Revolutionary War. I like Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan books. I’m a fan of Krista Davis’s Diva mysteries and I’m looking forward to her new series. Ask me next week and I’ll probably have new favorites.

6. Besides books, do you have any other hobbies?

I like to hike, which is something we do a lot as a family. I like to cook. I do a lot of mixed media art. I make journals and I’m learning to quilt. And I run. I should say that I don’t really like running. I like having run.

7. Do you have cats of your own? Are any featured in your books?

I don’t have a cat at the moment because my husband is severely allergic to them. It feels a little unfair because he likes cats and they always seem to like him. I have what I call cat friends—cats that belong to friends who let me get my kitty fix. One of my cat friends lives across the street and two others are just around the corner. The cats in my books all have some pieces of the personalities of the cats in my life. Owen has a little of the personality of Pepper, the cat in my local used bookstore. Pepper is a plus-size tabby cat and she loves to sneak up on me when I’m in the store. Then she makes a sound just like she’s laughing.

8. How long does it take for you to write a book?

That depends on the book. I’ve taken as long as six months and as little as six weeks. And I once did a writing challenge where I wrote an entire book over the Labor Day weekend. It was a pretty awful book.

9. How did you react when you heard your first book would be published?

Shock followed by a goofy dance of happiness!

10. Can you tell us anything about any future book releases?

Final Catcall is out October 1st. The first Second Chance Cat book, The Whole Cat and Caboodle, will be out in April of next year. It features Elvis, a black tomcat who seems to be a feline lie detector. And the next Magical Cats book will follow later in 2014.

Thank you so much for taking the time visit with us, Sofie. It’s been a pleasure to have you here!